FAKULTETA ZA GRADBENIŠTVO

MARIBOR

ENGLISH FOR STUDENTS OF CIVIL

ENGINEERING

Skripta

doc. dr. Metka Brkan

Maribor, 2009

1

Naslov: English for Students of Civil

Engineering

Avtorica: doc. dr. Metka Brkan

Strokovni recenzentki: izr. prof. dr. Michelle Gadpaille

doc. dr. Ţiva Čeh

Računalniški prelom: Natalija Orešek

Oblikovanje slik: Natalija Orešek

Tipologija publikacije: 2.04 Skripta

Zaloţnik: Fakulteta za gradbeništvo

Kraj zaloţbe: Maribor

Datum izida: 15. 9. 2009

URL (e-pub): http://dkum.uni-mb.si/IzpisGradiva.php?id=11786

Vrsta publikacije: Skripta

CIP - Kataloţni zapis o publikaciji

Univerzitetna knjiţnica Maribor

811.111:69(075.8)

BRKAN, Metka

English for students of civil engineering :

skripta / Metka Brkan. - Maribor : Fakulteta za

gradbeništvo, 2009

ISBN 978-961-248-177-3

COBISS.SI-ID 13309718

2

CONTENTS

UVOD 3

Unit 1: CIVIL ENGINEERING 4

Unit 2: ENGINEERING SCIENCES 9

Unit 3: BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 13

Unit 4: BUILDINGS 17

Unit 5: BUILDING MATERIALS 22

Unit 6: SURVEYING 25

Unit 7: STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS 28

Unit 8: FORCES 32

Unit 9: BRIDGES 35

Unit 10: TENDER 41

APPENDIX

Irregular Verbs 44

Table of English Tenses 45

Active and Passive Voice 48

Describing Graphs 51

European Curriculum Vitae 52

Formal Letters 54

Job Application Samples 55

Writing Abstracts 57

Reading Equations 61

Students’ Obligations 62

Literature 63

3

UVOD

V času vse večjega kulturnega in gospodarskega povezovanja narodov si skorajda ne

moremo zamisliti, da bi posameznik lahko učinkovito deloval brez znanja vsaj enega

tujega jezika. Tuji jeziki prodirajo v vsa področja našega ţivljenja, tako zasebnega kot

poklicnega. Ta trend je izredno močan tudi na strokovnih področjih, saj je ponekod

celo več strokovne literature dosegljive v tujem kot v slovenskem jeziku. Brez branja

strokovne literature, ki velikokrat ţal ni dosegljiva v prevodih, pa danes inţenir teţko

uspeva in napreduje v svojem poklicu. Tuji jezik pa potrebuje inţenir tudi za

komunikacijo s strokovnjaki z njegovega področja in z morebitnimi poslovnimi

partnerji. Z dobrim znanjem tujega jezika si tako lahko zagotovi večji poslovni uspeh.

Pričujoča skripta so namenjena osvajanju angleškega strokovnega jezika s področja

gradbeništva. Študent se skozi strokovna besedila seznani z osnovno gradbeniško

terminologijo ter pomembnejšimi slovničnimi poglavji angleškega jezika stroke. Vaje

so strukturirane tako, da podpirajo pisno in slušno razumevanje angleških strokovnih

besedil, ustno izraţanje ter pisanje v angleškem jeziku. Seveda pa je treba vsako

znanje nadgrajevati. Ta skripta naj bodo zato le začetni korak do znanja angleškega

jezika stroke, ki se ga naj študent uči tudi v drugih, ne le študijskih situacijah.

Avtorica

4

UNIT 1: CIVIL ENGINEERING

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the

design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment,

including works such as bridges, roads, canals, dams and buildings. Civil engineering

is the oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it was defined to

distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering. It is traditionally

broken into several sub-disciplines including geotechnical engineering, surveying,

foundation engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, municipal

or urban engineering, sanitary or infrastructural engineering, water resources

engineering, environmental engineering, materials engineering, and construction

engineering. Civil engineering takes place on all levels: in the public sector from

municipal through to federal levels, and in the private sector from individual

homeowners through to international companies.

Structural engineering is concerned with the structural design and structural

analysis of buildings, bridges, towers, tunnels, off shore structures like oil and gas

fields in the sea, and other structures. This involves identifying the loads which act

upon a structure and the forces and stresses which arise within that structure due to

those loads, and then designing the structure to successfully support and resist those

loads.

Civil engineers typically possess an academic degree. The length of study for

such a degree is usually four or five years and the completed degree is usually

designated as a Bachelor of Engineering, though some universities designate the

degree as a Bachelor of Science. The degree generally includes units covering

physics, mathematics, project management, design and specific topics in civil

engineering. Initially such topics cover most, if not all, of the sub-disciplines of civil

engineering. Students then choose to specialize in one or more sub-disciplines

towards the end of the degree.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_engineering)

5

REMEMBER THIS MENTAL SAMPLE

Surveying and geotechnical engineering

Organization of building sites Water supply systems,

and construction(= Construction Sewage/sewerage systems

Engineering) Management of water resources

Testing materials (= Materials Eng.) Pipelines (= Sanitary or Infra-

structure Eng).

Investigation and study of soil Construction of canals,

such as gravel, slate, clay, marshes irrigation/drainage systems,

(= Soil Mechanics) electric power plants,

embankments (= Water

Resources Eng.)

Foundation Engineering Calculation of loads, forces and

Stresses (= Structural Eng.)

CIVIL ENGINEERING

is concerned with

Earthworks

Tall structures

Engineering structures High-rise buildings

(roads, motorways, (AM highways), (semi-detached houses,

bridges, railways (AM railroads), cableways, terraced houses,

tunnels, airports) prefabricated houses,

skyscrapers,

blocks of flats)

Substructures Superstructures

Cooperation with architects Traffic and Transportation Eng.

in town planning Traffic control

and in renewal of town cores Traffic supervision

Traffic planning

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GLOSSARY

building construction – visokogradnja

building site – gradbišče

code – standard: to meet the code – ustrezati standardom

construct gl – graditi

construction – gradnja

dam – jez

embankment – breţina

engineering structures – nizke gradnje

engineering works – nizkogradnja

erect gl (structures) – graditi

erection (of structures) – gradnja

foundations – temelji

geodesy – geodezija

high-rise buildings – visoke gradnje

highway (BR motorway) – avtocesta

irrigation system – namakalni sistem

pipeline – cevovod

regulation – predpis

rebuild gl – obnoviti

rebuilding – obnova

renew gl – renovirati, obnoviti, sanirati

renewal – renovacija, obnova, sanacija

renovation – obnova

renovate gl – obnoviti

retaining wall – podporna stena

sanitary engineering – komunala

sewerage (or sewage) system - kanalizacija

surveying – meritve zemlje

soil – zemljina

supervise gl – nadzirati

supervision – nadzor

structure – konstrukcija

structural design – konstruiranje

tall structures – visoke gradnje

water resources – vodni viri

water supply system – vodovod

REMEMBER THESE COLLOCATIONS

to approve a project

to reject a project

to pollute the environment

to have a harmful effect on the environment = to harm the environment

to have a negative effect on the environment

to meet building codes

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REMEMBER THESE TERMS. Translate the Slovene words into English.

konstrukcija –

visoke gradnje (stavbe) –

visokogradnja (the process of building these structures) –

nizke gradnje –

nizkogradnja (the process) –

komunala –

vodovod –

kanalizacija –

sanacija –

sanirati –

graditi –

postaviti (hišo) –

EXERCISES

I. DISCUSS THE QUESTIONS BELOW.

1. What does it mean that a civil engineering project is workable from a

technical, economic and environmental point of view?

2. Are civil engineering projects approved routinely? Can you think of any

civil engineering projects that could affect the environment negatively?

Discuss the hazards caused by such projects.

3. Why must civil engineers undergo a continual process of education?

4. What doa civil engineer and a structural engineer deal with?

II. WATCH TO THE VIDEO ON http://www.ehow.com/video_4971346_civil-

engineer-pros-cons.html.

PUT DOWN PROS AND CONS OF BEING A CIVIL ENGINEER.

PROS CONS

8

III. FILL IN THE GAPS WITH A SUITABLE PREPOSITION.

1. He is concerned ............... the testing and supervision of structures.

2. They deal ................... the development of technology.

3. My friend specialized .............the design of aircraft.

4. This department is responsible ..............designing traffic flows.

5. Urban planners are involved ............city planning.

IV. IN TECHNICAL ENGLISH NEW WORDS ARE OFTEN FORMED WITH PREFIXES

AND SUFFIXES. IF YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF A PREFIX OR SUFFIX, IT IS EASIER

TO GET AT THE MEANING OF THE NEW WORD. STUDY THE PREFIXES AND

SUFFIXES IN THIS TABLE AND FORM NEW WORDS FROM THOSE IN THE LIST.

Prefixes Suffixes

anti- proti anticorrosive

bi dvo- bilateral

contra- proti contraflow

hemi pol hemicycle

homo enak, homo- homochromatic

mal slab malfunction

over pre- oversaturation

pre predhodno preset

re ponovno reprocess

sub pod substructure

un ne untrimmed

uni eno unidimensional

-age drain drainage

-ance maintain maintenance

-able -read readable

-en wide widen

-ity elastic elasticity

-ize standard standardize

Now add prefixes to the following words and explain the new meaning.

flow, select, contractor, serviceable, normal, effect, lap, monthly, sphere

Add suffixes to the following words and explain the new meaning.

pack, rigid, obtain, wood, clear, service, translate, minimum, band

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UNIT 2: ENGINEERING SCIENCES

Engineering is the practical application of scientific knowledge. It puts scientific

knowledge to practical use. Early branches of engineering, however, were not based

on science but on observation and experience. In spite of this, some structures from

ancient times still survive because they were built with greater strength than required

by modern standards. Others, however, collapsed. There was no formal engineering

education in the past, and engineers learned their skills through on-the-job-training or

trial and error.

Branches of engineering

Most of the engineering branches have developed since the middle of the eighteenth

century. Civil engineering is concerned with buildings, structures and systems that

are intended to be stationary. It deals with permanent structures for civilian use.

Military engineering, on the other hand, deals with temporary structures for military

use.

Mechanical engineering is concerned with the design, operation and testing of all

kinds of machines. Mechanical engineers develop and assemble a wide variety of

machines that use power from steam, petrol, nuclear fuels and other sources of

energy.

Electrical engineering deals with the production and testing of electrical and

electronic devices. Electrical engineers develop equipment to produce and distribute

electricity, electric motors and transformers. Electronic engineers play an important

role in the production of computers, industrial robots and integrated circuits.

Chemical engineering deals with the processing of chemicals for industrial and

consumer uses. Chemical engineers are concerned with the chemical processes that

change raw materials into useful products.

Industrial engineering determines the most economical ways to use people,

machines, and materials in an industrial organization.

Environmental engineering is concerned with the prevention of air, water, soil, and

noise pollution. Environmental engineers are concerned with the safe disposal of

hazardous wastes

(Adapted from Hall, E.J.: The Language of Civil Engineering in English. New York: 1977.)

GLOSSARY

civil engineering – gradbeništvo

chemical engineering – kemijska tehnika

environmental engineering – okoljevarstvena tehnika

electrical engineering – elektrotehnika

industrial engineering – gospodarsko inţenirstvo

integrated circuit – integrirano vezje

mechanical engineering – strojništvo

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military engineering – vojaška tehnika

permanent structure – trajna konstrukcija

strength – trdnost

structure – konstrukcija

temporary structure – začasna konstrukcija

REMEMBER THESE TERMS. Translate the Slovene words into English.

energija –

kemikalija –

konstrukcija –

konstruirati –

montaţa –

montaţna hiša –

montirati – (to put together) to assemble; (to put up or in) to install; (to fix firmly) to

to mount

motor –

objekt –

odlaganje odpadkov –

predelava –

surovina –

transformator –

EXERCISES

I. MAKE SENTENCES USING INFORMATION FROM THE TABLE BELOW.

X

deals with erecting and putting to use all types of

structures

is concerned with designing integrated circuits for computers

involves the development and quality testing of work

organization in an enterprise

works closely with Y in testing new medicaments

II. WHICH BRANCH OF ENGINEERING WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE FOLLOWING

PROJECTS? INDICATE ALL BRANCHES THAT COULD BE INVOLVED.

Project

Engineering science

involved

1. Building a beam bridge over a river.

2. Designing a process for making plastics from

recycled materials.

3. Designing a nuclear power plant.

4. Designing the body and the tail for a new type

of airplane.

5. Designing an automatic radar control device

11

to be used on highways.

6. Installing an engine in a new type of

automobile.

7. Testing the strength of cables to be used for a

suspension bridge.

8. Studying the organization of work in a

factory.

III. DISCUSS WHICH EXPERTS SHOULD BE ENGAGED AND THE WORK THEY

SHOULD DO IN DESIGNING A WATER POWER PLANT.

IV. TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING TEXT INTO ENGLISH. PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION

TO THE USE OF THE ENGLISH WORDS: engineering, technique and technology.

Sem študent tehnike. Kot bruc se moram naučiti tehnik študiranja, da bom pri študiju

uspešen. Zanima me predvsem tehnika gradnje mostov in tehnologija novih

materialov. Diploma iz tehnike je bistvenega pomena za mojo poklicno kariero. Ko

končam študij, bom dobil naziv diplomirani inţenir.

V. TRANSLATE THESE SLOVENE SENTENCES INTO ENGLISH.

1. Konstruirali so nov objekt. ……………………………………………….

2. Zgradili so nov objekt. ……………………………………………………

3. Konstrukcija se je porušila. ……………………………………………….

4. Sem diplomirani gradbeni inţenir. …………………………………………..

5. Montirali so električno napeljavo. ………………………………………….

6. Montirali so nov robotski mehanizem. ……………………………………..

VI. TO CONTRAST IDEAS, DIFFERENT LINKING WORDS CAN BE USED. THESE ARE

PRESENTED IN COLUMN C. USE THESE CONNECTORS TO COMPLETE THE

EXERCISE.

You are planning to buy a house. You have looked at several houses and selected two

of them between which you are now hesitating. Join the sentences in A and B using

the connector in C.

A B C

House 1 is newer. House 2 is more expensive. But

2. It has three bedrooms. It does not provide enough space. although

3. The building site is rather

small.

House 1 is located in the vicinity of

schools and shops.

however

4. There is a large attic. House 1 has no space for working

and exercising.

even though

5. House 1 is close to bus

stations.

House 2 is close to the underground. While

12

6. The vegetable garden of

House 1 is quite big.

There is no vegetable garden around

House 2.

whereas

7. House 1 is not expensive. It is newer and more modern. despite

8. House 1 is situated on a small hill overlooking a residential area. neverthe-

less

VII. PUT THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES INTO THE PASSIVE VOICE.

a) In construction, workers first excavate the pit which they call the excavation

pit. Then they secure the ground so that they can erect retaining walls.

Afterwards they erect the falsework and put in steel bars. Machines now pour

in the concrete.

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

b) Engineers have made plans for a new road. They have presented these to the

Local Community. Their experts approved the plans and gave permission for

the beginning of work. Work started two weeks ago. The workers have already

prepared the footing and filled it with concrete. At present they are laying

asphalt on the drive. They will complete work in August.

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

c) The engineers cannot complete the work by August, so they will have to

prolong it until December. They should have engaged more workers. They

must revise the plans that they designed. They ought to have collected more

funding. They undertook construction after they had made an extensive survey

of the route.

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………

13

UNIT 3: BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

Building construction is the process of erecting a structure on a building site. The vast

majority of building construction projects are small renovations, such as the addition

of a room, or the renovation of a bathroom. Often, the owner of the property acts as

laborer, paymaster, and design team for the entire project. However, all building

construction projects include some elements in common: design, financial, and legal

considerations. Many projects of varying sizes have undesirable outcomes, such as

structural collapse, cost overruns, and/or litigation. Therefore, those with experience

in the field should make detailed plans and maintain careful oversight during the

project to ensure a positive outcome.

Building construction for several apartment blocks

A large unfinished building.

Residential construction practices, technologies, and resources must conform to local

building authority regulations and codes of practice. Materials readily available in the

area generally dictate the construction materials used (e.g., brick versus stone, versus

timber). The cost of construction on a per square metre basis for houses can vary

dramatically based on site conditions, local regulations, and the availability of skilled

trades-people. Since residential construction (as well as all other types of

construction) can generate a lot of waste, careful planning is also needed here.

The most popular method of residential construction in the United States is wood

framed construction. As efficiency codes have come into effect in recent years, new

construction technologies and methods have emerged.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construction#Building_construction)

GLOSSARY

building construction – visokogradnja

building labourer – gradbeni delavec (AM construction laborer)

construction – gradnja

construction materials – gradbeni materiali

construction technology – gradbena tehnologija

cost overrun – prekoračitev stroškov

14

local regulations – lokalni predpisi

residential construction – stanovanjska gradnja

structural error – konstrukcijska napaka

REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING TERMS. Translate the Slovene words into

English.

konstrukter –

konstrukterstvo –

gradbena dela –

EXERCISES

I. DISCUSS THE QUESTIONS BELOW.

1. What is the most popular method of residential construction in the United

States and in Slovenia?

2. What must a project leader consider when undertaking a construction

project?

3. Discuss problems in building construction in Slovenia.

4. What is meant by turnkey construction?

II. MATCH THE NAMES OF THE DIFFERENT BUILDING LABOURERS WITH THE

WORK THEY DO.

1. He sets glass in a window opening. a. joiner

2. He manufactures window frames,

doors and furniture.

b. bricklayer

3. He installs roof structures. c. machine driver

4. He is concerned with brickwork and

mixing concrete.

d. plumber

5. He excavates the ground, removes

earth and prepares the excavation pit.

e. electrician

6. He installs water pipes, bathroom and

toilet fittings.

f. glazier

7. He installs electrical wires and sockets. g. tiler

8. He paints external and internal walls. h. carpenter

9. He covers the roof with tiles. i. steel erector

10. He bends steel rods and prepares steel

reinforcement.

j. decorator

III. WATCH THE VIDEO AT THE http://www.careervoyages.gov/construction-videos.cfm.

SELECT THE VIDEO ABOUT CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS. PREPARE A SHORT ORAL

PRESENTATION.

15

IV. DESCRIBE THESE PLANE SHAPES.

V. MAKE ADJECTIVES FROM THE NOUNS BELOW.

a)

Noun Adjective Noun Adjective

circle sphere

rectangle pyramid

square cylinder

triangle cube

semi-circle cone

angle line

curve radius

b) Using the table above, insert a suitable adjective in front of these terms.

................ ........ traffic

......................... roads

......................... intersections

......................... roundabouts

......................... bus routes

VI. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES BY USING COMPOUNDS.

1. This kitchen is square. This is a ..............................-shaped kitchen.

2. This building has the form of the letter C. It is a ………. -…………… building.

3. Our apartment building has 5 floors. It is a ............................ - …………building.

4. We own a house with two storeys. We own a ………………. - …………. house.

5. This stadium has the form of a circle. It is a ……………….. -………… stadium.

VII. FIND THE PLURALS OF THESE NOUNS.

radius – two .................

information – two pieces of ......................

phenomenon – three .............................

criterion – several ............................

VIII. USE BOTH, NOT ONLY – BUT ALSO, EITHER – OR, NEITHER – NOR TO EXPRESS

SIMILARITY.

1. Construction engineering and structural engineering are ……….. interesting.

2. This house is ………. ……….. huge, ……… ………. cheap.

3. ……….. concrete and brick are masonry materials.

16

4. ………… steel …….. iron can be used for reinforcement.

5. This site has ………….. a good position ……… easy access.

6. ………………… bitumen ………. geotechnical textiles can be used as insulators.

7. They ……….. ………….. designed the building, ……….. ………….. constructed

it.

IX. FILL IN THE GAPS USING THE VERBS BELOW. USE THE VERBS IN THE PASSIVE

VOICE. PAY ATTENTION TO THE CORRECT TENSE.

a) clean, lay, start, apply, level, pre-treat, eliminate, mix, spread, absorb

Lime floor

First, the concrete subfloor must ........... ........................ with a special dispersion.

Then the subfloor must .......... ........................ with a dispersion primer. The

application of subfloor levelling may ............................... after the primer ...........

........... completely ........................ .

The lime floor ........... ............. with water. The subfloor un-levelling must .........

.......................... by using the paste Thomsit DD. Thomsit DD may ........

...................... in a thickness of 0.5 – 5.0 mm. The mass should .... .................... and

.................... with a smoothing rod.

b) polish, rinse, prevent, carry out, lay, observe, dry

Yesterday, a new floor ...... .......................... in our flat. We have not put in furniture

yet because at present the floor ........ ............. ............................. . Tomorrow it

........... .......... ......................... using a special hot air drier. We have received some

cleaning instructions, which should ........... ................................ to enhance the life

time of the floor. Washing can ........ .................................... using smooth brushes.

After washing, the floor should ....... ......................... with a cloth so that cleaning

deposits ........ ............................ .

17

UNIT 4: BUILDINGS

One of the first steps in building a home is locating your new home on its lot. This

will usually involve a surveyor who will come out and accurately drive stakes to

locate your home on the lot. These will be used by the excavators and foundation

subcontractors to guide their work.

The first step in the actual construction of your new home is site preparation. Site

preparation consists of clearing away the trees from your building site and staking the

house location to install the footings and foundation.

The structural elements of the home are those which carry the weight or load of the

home to the earth on which it rests. Hence, they are often referred to as load-bearing

elements or load-bearing systems.

They include the footings, foundation walls, floor, walls, ceiling and roof. It is

important that these elements be properly designed and constructed, as they must

support not only their own weight, but a portion of that from above. For example, the

walls must be strong enough to support the weight of the ceiling and the roof.

The footings are placed under all

load-bearing parts of the foundation,

i.e., piers, columns, foundation walls,

etc.

The house foundations provide support for the house. Sometimes the house

foundation rests upon the footings and supports the floor system - as with

conventional foundation walls and piers.

Many foundation systems consist of a masonry (brick or concrete block) perimeter

wall. Poured concrete foundation walls are popular in many areas of the country and

are almost always used where there is to be a basement. A waterproofing material is

applied to the foundation walls which will be below grade to minimize water

accumulation in the basement.

The concrete first floor slab is now

poured, and its edge is insulated with

an insulation foam product.

18

Exterior walls are load bearing walls which carry the load of the ceiling and roof

structure to the foundation. Non-load bearing walls carry their own weight.

The building in now covered with a roof, and windows, doors and fittings (water

pipes, electrical cables) are installed. During the defects liability period, the contractor

must correct all defects that have appeared after the delivery of the house.

( http://www.home-building-answers.com/step-by-step-home-building.html)

STUDY THE PARTS OF THIS BUILDING

(http://images.google.si/imgres?imgurl=http://www.homeconcepts.ca/home-plans/home-

images/12070_Cardiff/Cardfsec.gif)

GLOSSARY

building site – gradbišče

building lot – gradbena parcela

commission – naročilo (to receive a commission for a building dobiti naročilo za

stavbo)

construction – gradnja (v gradnji in construction)

defects liability period – preizkusna doba

foundation – temelj

footing – peta (temelja)

load-bearing element – nosilni element

slab – plošča

19

stake out (the location) gl – zakoličiti

tile – strešnik

REMEMBER THESE COLLOCATIONS

to erect (or to build, to construct) a house –

to install the footing/foundation/doors/windows –

to pour concrete –

to insulate the floors/walls –

to apply insulation material to floors –

to stake the house location –

to support the weight –

to provide support –

REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING TERMS. Translate the Slovene words into

English.

beton –

betonirati –

gradnja –

izolacija –

izolirati –

konstrukcijski element –

konstruiranje –

naročilo –

EXERCISES

I. YOUR HOUSE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. SOME WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN

DONE, SOME WAS COMPLETED LAST MONTH AND SOME REMAINS TO BE

COMPLETED. USE THE PASSIVE TO DESCRIBE THIS SEQUENCE.

Table 1

These construction phases have been

completed

1. I have awarded a commission for a

building to my architect.

2. I have obtained the building permit.

3. Workers have cleared the site.

4. Labourers have excavated the pit

and dug the trenches.

5. Workers have installed the footing.

Table 2

These construction phases were completed

last month.

1. Trucks transported footing

material and machines levelled it to

grade.

20

2. Labourers erected basement walls

and installed floor supports.

3. They poured concrete on the slab.

4. Carpenters fixed the roofing.

5. Roof tilers covered the roof with

tiles.

Table 3

These construction phases will be completed

next month.

1. Plumbers will install water pipes.

2. Joiners will make and put in the

windows.

3. Joiners will also erect interior walls

and the staircase.

4. Roof constructors will insulate the

roof.

5. Plumbers will finish the heating.

II. PUT THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES INTO THE PASSIVE VOICE. USE THE

UNDERLINED WORDS AT THE BEGINNING OF EITHER a) OR b).

1. The architect gave him instructions.

a) …………………………………..

b) ……………………………………

2. The contractor brought the company the plans.

a) ………………………………………..

b) …………………………………………

3. The architect showed us the plan.

a) ………………………………………..

b) ………………………………………….

4. The contractors have not sent me a text message.

a) ………………………………………………………

b) ……………………………………………………..

5. The professor explained the exercise to the students.

a) ……………………………………………………….

b) …………………………………………………………..

III. TRANSLATE THIS COMPLAINT INTO ENGLISH. USE THE PASSIVE WHEREVER

POSSIBLE.

Vsi strešniki so bili dostavljeni prepozno. Paleta, ki ste jo dostavili včeraj, je bila

poškodovana. 20% strešnikov je zlomljenih, 10 % pa je popraskanih. Poškodbe so

verjetno nastale pri nakladanju in prevozu. Za te poškodbe nismo odgovorni.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

21

IV. STUDY THE PLAN OF THIS TWO-FLOOR RECTANGULAR RESIDENTIAL HOUSE.

THEN COMPLETE THE EXERCISE USING THE PREPOSITIONS: at, adjacent, between,

beyond, from, either, in, on.

(http://www.byoh.com/boulder%201.jpg)

1. The kitchen, dining room and living room are located ………the ground floor.

2. There is a cupboard ……………the top of the stairs.

3. The toilet is located …………..the den and the living room.

4. The dining room is situated…………. the living room, …..………to. the kitchen.

5. ……… the left of the entrance there is the living room.

6. ………… the attic there are bedrooms on ……………. side of the stairs.

7. Two windows are built …….. the north side of the house.

8. There is a staircase ............ the centre of the house.

9. The owner’s toilet is located ............ the north-east corner so it gets enough sun in

the morning.

10. Access to the kitchen is ...........the hall.

11. The dining room is ................... to the kitchen, so food can be easily served there.

12. Access............ the utility room is .......... the kitchen and the staircase.

22

UNIT 5: BUILDING MATERIALS

Building material is any material that is used for a construction purpose. Many

naturally occurring substances, such as clay, sand, wood and rocks, even twigs and

leaves, have been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring

materials, many man-made products are in use.

Masonry construction materials comprise brick, stone, tile, cement, grout, and

concrete. Concrete is a mixture of cement, aggregate (small stones or gravel) and

water. These ingredients can be mixed in different proportions to produce concrete of

different strength and weight. Since concrete has a rather low tensile strength and high

compressive strength, it is generally strengthened using steel rods or bars. This

strengthened concrete is then referred to as reinforced concrete. On a construction

site, the liquid concrete is poured around the steel or iron reinforcement. Pre-stressed

concrete is cast around pre-tensioned rods. This method produces a good bond

between the rod and the concrete, which both protects the rod from corrosion and

allows for direct transfer of tension.

Metal is used as a structural framework for larger buildings such as skyscrapers.

There are many types of metals used for building. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon.

Owing to its high tensile strength and resistance to fatigue, it is the usual choice for

metal structural building materials. It is strong and flexible and, if refined well, lasts a

long time. Corrosion is metal's prime enemy when it comes to longevity.

Aluminium has better corrosion resistance and lower weight than steel. It is generally

used for bridge construction and for the framework of a new building.

The use of glass in architectural buildings has become very popular in contemporary

culture. Glass "curtain walls" can be used to cover the entire facade of a building, or

it can be used to span a wide roof structure. Nevertheless, these uses though require

some sort of frame to hold sections of glass together, as glass by itself is too brittle.

(Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_material)

GLOSSARY

alloy – zlitina

brick – opeka

curtain wall – predelna stena

fatigue – utrujanje (materiala)

grout – malta

masonry – zidarstvo

masonry materials – zidarski materiali

pre-stressed concrete – prednapeti beton

reinforced concrete – armirani beton

steel – jeklo

tensile strength – natezna trdnost

tile – strešnik

23

REMEMBER THESE COLLOCATIONS

to pour concrete

to cast concrete

to be resistant to …

to be corrosion-resistant

to protect from corrosion

to transfer tension to …

to span a distance

to span something (for example: over a roof)

to hold something together

REMEMBER THE BELOW TERMS. Translate the Slovene words into English.

armirani beton –

armatura –

masivna konstrukcija –

predelna stena –

strešnik –

EXERCISES

I. LOOK AT THE ILLUSTRATIONS BELOW. DECIDE WHICH ILLUSTRATION

REPRESENTS MASS, SLAB AND SKELETON CONSTRUCTION. NOW DISCUSS THE

CHARACTERISTICS OF MASSIVE, SLAB AND SKELETON STRUCTURES.

(http://www.yf0rce.com/house/design_scaled.jpg)

(http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/accp/in0754/image698.gif)

24

Materials used in

construction Function of walls

Parts that have a

load-bearing

function

Massive structures

Skeleton structures

Slab structures

II. TRANSLATE THIS SLOVENE TEXT INTO ENGLISH.

Konstrukcije so lahko masivne, ploskovne in skeletne. Individualne stanovanjske hiše

so večinoma grajene iz zidarskih materialov (opeke, betonskih blokov, strešnikov).

Masivne konstrukcije so teţke, imajo veliko tlačno trdnost, gradnja je zamudna.

Skeletne konstrukcije so primerne v potresnih območjih za visokogradnje, kot npr.

nebotičnike, pisarniške stavbe, etc.

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

III. READ THE FOLOWING EQUATIONS. REFER TO THE APPENDIX TO FIND OUT

HOW EQUATIONS ARE READ IN ENGLISH.

1.

2.

3.

25

UNIT 6: SURVEYING

Surveying is the technique of measuring the earth’s surface. Such measurements

should be as accurate as possible. A survey of the site must be made before any civil

engineering project is undertaken.

There are different kinds of surveying. Plane surveying does not take into account

the spherical form of the Earth. So, it is only accurate within areas of about 20

kilometers. For larger areas, however, geodetic surveying must be used which takes

into consideration the curvature of the Earth.

What is measured? Surveyors measure distances, elevations (heights), boundaries (both man-made and

natural) and other physical characteristics of the site. Measurements can be in a

horizontal plane or in a vertical plane.

Heights are measured in relation to a point called a bench mark. The bench mark is a

point determined at sea level; it is the average of tides in a given area.

Stadia readings used in

surveying can be taken with

modern instruments such as

transits and theodolites

The axes and circles of a

theodolite

(http://209.85.129.132/search?q=cache:zKjqP9_WcksJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadiametric_rangefindin

g+stadia+hairs&cd=1&hl=sl&ct=clnk&gl=si)

Surveying tools

The steel tape is the principal measuring device for distances. Measurements with a

steel tape are only accurate at a temperature of 20 degrees centigrade, owing to the

contraction or expansion of the tape at lower or higher temperatures.

The theodolite is the most important of all the tools used by the surveyor. It consists

of a telescope and horizontal and vertical plates used to measure horizontal and

vertical angles. Leveling devices keep the instrument in a horizontal plane. Within the

telescope theodolites have cross hairs and stadia hairs. Cross hairs permit the

surveyor to line up the ends of a tape when he has them in focus. The stadia hairs are

parallel to the horizontal cross hairs.

How are distances determined by the theodolite? The surveyor sights a rod, which

is a rule with spaces marked at regular intervals. When the stadia hairs are in line with

a mark on the rod, he reads the distance from an electronic instrument.

(Adapted from Hall, E.J.: The Language of Civil Engineering in English. New York: 1977)

26

GLOSSARY

cross hairs – distančne niti

bench mark – ničta točka

leveling device – nivelir

geodesy – geodezija

geodetic surveying – geodetske meritve

plane surveying – ravninske meritve

rod – trasirka

surveying – merjenje zemljišča, temljemerstvo

stadia hairs – nitni kriţ

steel tape – merski trak

theodolite – teodolite

REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING COLLOCATIONS

to make a survey of a site to sight a rod

to take measurement to be in line with

to line up (or to level) the tape to be level

to take temperature readings to set off waves

to keep in a horizontal plane to reflect waves

REMEMBER THESE TERMS. Translate the Slovene words into English.

trasirka –

meritev (zemlje) –

nivelirati –

nivelir –

EXERCISES

I. IMAGINE THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE MEASUREMENTS OF A BODY OF WATER?

HOW WOULD YOU DO IT? WHAT INSTRUMENT WOULD YOU USE? DISCUSS THE

PRINCIPLE OF TAKING SUCH MEASUREMENTS.

II. MAKE NOUNS FROM THE FOLOWING VERBS AND ADJECTIVES.

to expand …………….. accurate ……………..

to contract …………….. distant ……………..

to measure …………….. high ……………..

to survey …………….. wide ……………..

to consider …………….. deep ……………..

to build …………….. narrow ……………..

to navigate …………….. long ……………..

to elevate …………….. exact ……………..

to mark …………….. precise ……………..

to direct …………….. evident ……………..

to read …………….. thick ……………..

to extend ……………..

27

III. FILL IN THE GAPS USING THE CORRECT COLLOCATION. PUT THE VERB INTO

THE PAST TENSE AND USE THE PASSIVE VOICE WHERE NEEDED.

Before the construction of a bridge was undertaken, a survey of the site

……………… . Surveyors ……………. accurate measurements of both river banks.

When a steel tape was used, temperature readings were also …………….. . Leveling

devices ……………..a theodolite in a horizontal plane. For the measurement to be

accurate, the ends of the tapes had to be ……………. .

IV. WATCH THE VIDEO AT http://www.lsrp.com/videopres.html ENTITLED

»PROMOTING LAND SURVEYING IN OUR SCHOOLS«. WATCH AND LISTEN TO IT

TWICE. THEN TRY TO FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE WORDS YOU HAVE HEARD IN

THE VIDEO.

1. It is a profession that demands accuracy, .......................................... and

................................

2. In the past surveyors often established property .................................... .

3. Today, this profession demands sound professional .................................. and

........................... skills.

4. Professional land surveyor ........................... everyone's life in some way.

5. All this has been .............................., charted, mapped and ....................................

by professional land surveyors.

6. Before the concrete is ........................., before one brick is ......................, a

professional land surveyor is on the job ..................... determining the overall

........................................... of the project.

7. He addresses such issues as ......................................., boundaries, topography

and ......................... concerns.

8. He is the ................. professional called when a project is in ............................ .

V. SELECT ONE SURVEYOR EXPERT FROM THE VIDEO AND PREPARE A SHORT

ORAL PRESENTATION.

28

UNIT 7: STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

Any structure is essentially made up of different types of elements, such as columns,

beams, plates and arches.

Columns are vertical elements that carry only axial force – either tension or

compression – or both axial force and bending.

Beams are horizontal elements which support vertically applied loads across an

opening. There are many types of beams. The methods for the support of beams are

shown below.

A simple beam has supports near its ends. The supports

restrain the beam from vertical movement. In practice,

some horizontal movement is always present.

∆ ∆

A cantilever beam (or a fixed-end beam) has only one

support, which prevents its vertical or horizontal

movement.

A beam with one end fixed and one end supported is

called a propped cantilever.

∆

A beam with overhangs has free ends that overhang

both supports. The ends are free to rotate.

∆ ∆

When a beam extends over several supports, it is called

a continuous beam.

∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆

(Adapted from Horvatovič, M.: English for Civil Engineers: I. Belgrade: 1981)

Structural elements can be flexible (such as ropes, cables and chains) or

rigid, such as:

beams

girders (box girders)

joists

trusses

post and lintel structures

piers

walls

slabs (foundation slabs)

frames

corner pieces

bracings

hinges

29

GLOSSARY

beam – nosilec

beam with overhangs – previsni nosilec

box girder – škatlasti nosilec

bracing - povezje

built-in beam – (enostransko) vpeti nosilec

cantilever – konzola

cantilever beam – konzolni nosilec

continuous beam – kontinuirni nosilec

corner piece – kotnik

frame – okvir

foundation slab – temeljna plošča

girder – (večji) nosilec

hinge - tečaj

joist – tram

pier – rečni steber

post and lintel – steber in preklada

propped cantilever – podprta konzola

slab – plošča

truss – paličje

REMEMBER THE COLLOCATIONS BELOW

to apply the load

to support the load

to carry the load

to support a beam

to restrain (the end) from vertical movement

the beam extends over supports

REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING TERMS. Translate the Slovene words into

English.

konzola –

konstrukcijski element –

breme –

paličje –

preklada –

EXERCISES

I. FILL IN THE GAPS USING THE FOLLOWING WORDS: support, apply, equation,

restraint, bend, restrain, carry.

1. Beams are.............. by external loads.

2. The simple beam has ........................... near its end.

3. The fixed end ............................... the beam against vertical movement.

30

4. With some beams, a horizontal ....................... is sufficient.

5. Reactions are calculated from the ............................. of equilibrium.

6. Loads are …………… by different structural elements.

7. Loads that are …………. vertically can strain or fracture a beam.

II. MATCH EACH WORD ON THE LEFT WITH THE CORRECT EXPLANATION ON THE

RIGHT.

1. arch a) a beam that overhangs both its supports

2. propped cantilever b) the structure of doors, windows and parts of furniture

3. beam c) a post of stone used to support a bridge

4. fixed end beam d) a tall, upright stone post used to support a building

5. frame e) a horizontal member used to support vertically

applied load

6. column f) a beam with both ends fixed

7. pier g) a beam that has one end fixed and one supported

8. joist h) a structure with a curved top and straight sides

9. continuous beam i) a beam that extends over several supports

10. beam with overhangs j) a beam that supports a floor or a ceiling

III. HOW DO WE EXPRESS RESULT IN ENGLISH?

Look at this sentence:

The bridge collapsed because cracks had formed in the foundation.

The formation of cracks in the foundation resulted in the collapse of the bridge.

Write similar sentences. First change the verbs into nouns, and then compose the

sentences by following the above model.

1. The wood floor expanded because moisture occurred in the floor.

………………………………………………………………………………….

2. The roof structure collapsed because the rafter joint failed.

………………………………………………………………………………….

3. The gaps formed between the window and its frame because the woodwork

expanded.

………………………………………………………………………………..

4. The moisture in the floor increased because the floor was poorly insulated.

…………………………………………………………………………………

31

IV. BELOW YOU CAN SEE TWO ILLUSTRATIONS OF A BEAM:

1) Describe both illustrations. Speak about the type of beam and the loads

applied. What happened in the second illustration? How are loads distributed?

What would happen if the loads were not distributed in this way?

2. Now read the text about statically determinate beams. Fill in the gaps using the

following words: C, construction, load, adjacent, steel, horizontal, structural.

A statically determinate beam bends under an evenly distributed load. A beam is a

…..………….. element that carries ……………….. primarily in bending. Beams

generally carry vertical gravitational forces but can also be used to carry

……………….. loads (i.e. loads due to an earthquake or wind). The loads carried by a

beam are transferred to columns, which then transfer the force to …………………..

structural compression members.

Beams are characterized by the shape of their cross-section, their length, and their

material. In contemporary ………………………….., beams are typically made of

steel, reinforced concrete, or wood. One of the most common types of steel beam is

the I-beam. This is commonly used in …………………-frame buildings and bridges.

Other common beam profiles are the ……-channel, the pipe, and the angle.

(Adapted from http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Beam_structure/id/1929248)

32

UNIT 8: FORCES

Both the substructure and the superstructure help to support the load of a building.

The dead load of the building is the weight of all materials incorporated into the

building. The live load is the weight of objects and persons in the building. In some

regions the wind load of a building is important if the structure is to withstand storms.

Impact is the force at which the live load will be exerted on a structure. It is

especially important in bridges, where traffic passing over the bridge causes

vibrations that might collapse the bridge. Therefore, impact must be carefully studied

when building a bridge.

Foundations are the chief means of supporting a building. They carry both the dead

and live loads.

Beams, girders and columns form the skeleton of a superstructure, and bear the

weight of walls and each floor of the building. Beams and girders run horizontally.

Girders are usually larger than beams. Columns run vertically.

There are two types of walls: bearing walls and nonbearing walls. Bearing walls

bear the weight of the structure and transmit the load to the foundation. Nonbearing

walls and curtain walls have no structural function. They carry only their own weight

and serve to divide the interior of a building. Such walls are also called nonbearing

partitions.

Before any construction is undertaken, the forces acting on the structure and the

pressures exerted on it must be carefully calculated. Thrust is the pressure exerted by

each part of a structure on its other parts. Shear is the tendency of a beam to fracture

along the lines of stress, and stress is the force or pressure that tends to strain or

deform a structure.

Compressive force is the force that presses or pushes material together, while tensile

force pulls the material apart. Shear or shear force may occur in the vertical plane or

in the horizontal plane of the beam where there is neither tension nor compression. In

structures, forces must be kept in balance, which means that vertical forces must equal

horizontal forces.

(Adapted from Hall, E.J.: The Language of Civil Engineering in English. New York: 1977).

GLOSSARY

compressive force – tlačna sila

dead load – lastna teţa

impact – dinamična obteţba

live load – koristna obteţba

wind load – breme vetra

shear – strig

strain – raztezek

stress – napetost

tensile force – natezna sila

thrust – pritisk

33

REMEMBER THESE COLLOCATIONS

to bear (or to support, to carry) the load

to withstand storms

to exert load on a structure

to exert pressure

to bear the weight

to transmit the load to …

EXERCISES

I. READ THE TEXT BELOW. NOW ANSWER THE QUESTIONS REFERRING TO THE

TEXT.

During testing of a material sample, the stress–strain curve is a graphical

representation of the relationship between stress, derived from measuring the load

applied on the sample, and strain, derived from measuring the deformation of the

sample, i.e. elongation, compression, or distortion. The nature of the curve varies

from material to material.

1. What is represented by the stress-strain curve?

2. How do we determine the stress of a sample?

3. How do we determine the strain of a sample?

4. Do steel and aluminium have the same stress-strain curve?

II. LOOK AT THE DIAGRAM AND READ THE SENTENCES BELOW. NOW ANSWER

THIS QUESTION: WHICH OF THESE CURVES REPRESENTS MILD STEEL, CAST IRON,

AND CONCRETE?

(http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~struct/courseware/461/461_lectures/461_lecture24/461_lecture24.html)

1. This stress-strain curve is almost a straight line. There is an abrupt end to the

curve. This indicates that this material is brittle.

2. This curve has a long gently curving "tail". This indicates a behavior that is

distinctly different from that of the other two materials. The graph shows that

after a certain point this material will continue to strain (or stretch) as the

stress (or the loading) remains more or less constant. The material will actually

stretch like taffy. This property indicates a high ductility of the material.

34

3. This curve is only slightly curved. It is also a brittle material. This material

will fail with little warning once its limit is surpassed.

III. FILL IN THE GAPS USING THE CORRECT COLLOCATION.

1. Each of the tyres ………….. the load of one-fourth of the weight

2. When you are under water, the water …………… pressure on your body.

3. This vault was originally built to …………… the load of coal wagons.

4. Roof and floors …………load to the walls.

IV. MATCH THE DEFINITION ON THE LEFT WITH ITS TERM.

strength any type of force exerted on an object

dead load the load of furniture, equipment and persons

impact a force applied to the outside of an object that pushes inward

tension material's ability to withstand an applied stress without failure

load pressure exerted by each part of a structure on its other parts

thrust a high force or shock applied over a short time period

compression the load of a structure itself

live load a pulling or stretching force

V. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES WITH THE WORDS GIVEN IN BRACKETS

1. There aren’t …………. civil engineers working on dams. ………… civil

engineers are engaged in building construction or civil engineering works.

most/many)

2. ………….. of the timber that was delivered last week was of very poor

quality. We had to return …………… of the boards. (a few, some)

3. Not ………….. high-rise buildings are erected in this region. There isn’t

……….money available. (many/much)

4. At present, only …………….. concrete is manufactured. A ………….. will be

needed in future. (lot, little)

5. ………….. students were present and ……………….. work was done. (little,

few)

35

UNIT 9: BRIDGES

A bridge is an engineering structure that spans rivers, bodies of water, valleys and

railroads. Designs of bridges will vary depending on the function of the bridge and the

nature of the terrain where the bridge is to be constructed. A bridge must be strong to

support its own weight and the weight of the people and vehicles passing over it.

Besides, the bridge must resist such natural occurrences as wind load and earthquakes.

There are six main types of bridges: beam bridges, cantilever bridges, arch bridges,

suspension bridges, cable-stayed bridges and truss bridges.

Beam bridges

Beam bridges (or girder bridges) are horizontal beams held up by piers which are

columns positioned in water. Abutments support the bridge on the shore. Modern

beam bridges are made of large steel box girders that may be pre-fabricated off-site

and then placed in position by special machinery.

Cantilever bridges

Cantilever bridges use cantilevers that are supported at one end only. Most cantilever

bridges use two cantilever arms extending from opposite sides of the river and

meeting at the center. Sometimes a suspended span is built between two cantilever

arms.

Arch bridges

Arch bridges are arch-shaped and have abutments at each end. The earliest known

arch bridges were built by the Greeks. Early arch bridges consisted of large stone

blocks wedged together to form an arch. Today the majority of arch bridges are made

of reinforced concrete or steel trusses.

36

Suspension bridges

Suspension bridges are perhaps the most impressive type of bridge because of their

long span. These bridges have a roadway that is suspended from cables. Suspension

bridges are used to span great distances. The main span stretches between the two

towers, whilst the side spans extend between the tower and the anchorage. The cables

that are supported by the towers are called the main cables. The main cables are

connected to the top end of vertical suspender cables. The bottom end of each

suspender cable attaches to the roadway of the bridge.

Cable-stayed bridges

Like suspension bridges, cable-stayed bridges are held up by cables. However, in a

cable-stayed bridge the cables that support the roadway are connected directly to the

towers. Most cable-stayed bridges have three spans, but some have only one tower

and two spans.

Truss bridges

Truss bridges are supported by trusses. Each truss consists of steel rods that are

connected to form one or more triangles. The majority of modern truss bridges have

the roadway on top of the trusses. These are called deck truss bridges. If the roadway

runs through the trusses, the bridge is called a through truss bridge.

37

Drawbridges

In drawbridges, the roadway is moved to allow ships to pass. There are basically three

types of drawbridges. A bascule bridge opens by tilting up one or both arms at an

angle. In a lift bridge, the entire roadway is raised horizontally, providing clearance

for ships. In a swing bridge, the roadway is rotated so that it comes parallel to the

shore.

Tower Bridge - Lift bridge

(Adapted from Zeleny, R.O., Ed.: The World Book Encyclopedia: Book 3. Chicago: 1990,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge#Types_of_bridges, http://pghbridges.com/basics.htm and

http://visual.merriam-webster.com/transport-machinery/road-transport/movable-bridges/double-leaf-

bascule-bridge.php)

GLOSSARY

abutment – obreţni steber

anchorage – sidrišče

arch bridge – ločni most

beam bridge – gredni most

cable-stayed bridge – most s poševnimi kabli

cantilever bridge – konzolni most

pier – rečni steber

spandrel – mostni steber

suspension bridge – viseči most

truss bridge – rešetkasti most

38

REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING COLLOCATIONS

Bridges range in length up to .... metres.

support their own weight and the weight of traffic

resist natural occurrences

are held up by supports

are supported by piers

span great distance

The span stretches between towers.

extends

Cantilevers extend from opposite banks.

EXERCISES

I. MATCH TERMS ON THE LEFT TO THE DESCRIPTIONS ON THE RIGHT.

1. suspended span a) column positioned in water or a valley

2. pier b) a cable that runs between the towers of a suspension

bridge

3. suspender cables c) column positioned on the shore

4. abutment d) a bridge where cables extend from the towers to the

roadway

5. anchor e) cables that run between the main cable and the

roadway

6. span f) a truss between two cantilever arms

7. spandrel g) part of the bridge on the shore for giving support

8. main cable h) column between the roadway and the arch of the

bridge

9. cable-stayed bridge i) distance between the piers

II. DISCUSS THE QUESTIONS BELOW.

The construction of bridges is a difficult engineering task. Try to find out how the

following are built:

a) piers

b) a truss bridge

c) a suspension bridge

d) a concrete arch bridge

39

III. FILL IN THE GAPS USING THE APPROPRIATE VERB:

bear, range, transfer, support, span, extend, run, resist, hold up, design, stretch.

1. The majority of bridges are ....................... by at least two supports.

2. The structure is strong enough to .................... the weight.

3. The bridge collapsed, as it could not ..................... strong winds.

4. Pontoon bridges are ............................. by flat-bottomed boats.

5. The main span of the new bridge ................... more than 300 meters.

6. A roadway may ................ on top of trusses or through them.

7. Suspension bridges can .................. the longest distance.

8. The spans ................up to 550 metres long.

9. The columns ........................ the load of the roadway to the arch.

10. The main span of a suspension bridge ......................... between two

towers.

11. Bridges must be .................... so as to support dead and live loads.

IV. TRANSLATE THIS PASSAGE INTO ENGLISH. These words may help you in your

translation: survey, load-bearing capacity, damage, life-time/life expectancy, tenacity,

fatigue.

Članek daje pregled mostov, ki so med najzahtevnejšimi gradbenimi konstrukcijami.

Najprej so opisane vrste mostov glede na materiale, tem pa sledi diskusija o nosilnosti

mostov. Drugi del daje pregled moţnih poškodb, ki vplivajo na ţivljenjsko dobo

mostov, vključno z eksperimentalnimi rezultati.

Preučen je odnos med vzdrţljivostjo materiala in poškodbami, prikazani pa so tudi

podatki o utrujanju materiala največjih svetovnih mostov.

V. SHORTEN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES, USING EITHER THE PRESENT

PARTICIPLE OF THE VERB IN ITALICS OR THE PERFECT PARTICIPLE OF THE VERB

IN ITALICS.

Examples:

1. When he arrived at the station, he found that the train had left.

Arriving at the station, he found that the train had left.

2. He had led the company for several years, so he knew the situation well.

Having led the company for several years, he knew the situation well.

1. He found no adequate plan, so he turned to another building company for help.

………………………………………………………………………………………

2. When they had visited the site, they decided to continue the excavations.

………………………………………………………………………………………

3. He went through his calculations again because he thought he had made a mistake.

……………………………………………………………………………………

4. The government signaled its commitment to climate change when it taxed roads

heavily.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

5. When they had established that the bridge was dangerous, they closed it for traffic.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

6. If we get more exercises, we are sure to understand the matter.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

40

7. The calculation that produced wrong results was corrected so that other parameters

were used.

………………………………………………………………………………………

VI. JOIN THE FOLLOWING PAIRS OF SENTENCES USING EITHER THE PRESENT

PARTICIPLE OR THE PERFECT PARTICIPLE OF THE VERB IN ITALICS.

Examples:

1. He was late. He decided to wait for the break.

Being late, he decided to wait for the break.

2. He had studied all the details. He submitted the tender.

Having studied all the details, he submitted the tender.

1. He found no one at the building site. He decided to drop the matter.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

2. She hoped to find a good architect. She had collected a lot of information.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

3. The land stretches beyond the woods. It was prepared for construction.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

4. He saw no sign of danger. He crossed the road.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

5. I had seen the building site. I had no wish to buy it.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

6. The agency hired a new engineer. They realized that they could not finish the

work.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

VII. LOOK AT THE PAGE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge#Types_of_bridges and FIND OUT

MORE ABOUT MOVABLE BRIDGES. DESCRIBE THREE MOVABLE BRIDGES OF YOUR

OWN CHOICE.

41

UNIT 10: TENDER

A tender is a formal offer or a bid to carry out construction work at a stated price.

When the client has decided to undertake a construction project, he appoints an

architect who draws up preliminary plans. Here are the steps to be taken before any

construction is started:

ARCHITECT CLIENT BIDDER

-receives a commission for

a building

-draws up preliminary

plans

-makes an estimate of

costs

-suggests changes to

preliminary plans

-approves the plans

-publishes an invitation (or

call) for tenders, which

should includes:

-drawings

-contract conditions

-specifications

-bill of quantities for the

construction of work

-deadline for tenders

-selects the best contractor

-concludes the contract

-the contract is binding

upon both parties

-submits a tender in which

he guarantees that he shall

-undertake construction in

conformity with the plans,

conditions of the contract,

specifications and bill of

quantities,

-commence and deliver

work within a definite

period,

-obtain a bank guarantee ,

-not exceed the sum set

forth in the contract

-makes a master plan

that includes a working

drawing and a detail

drawing

GLOSSARY

bid – ponudba

bidder – ponudnik

bill of quantities – kosovnica

deadline – rok

delivery of work – predaja del

tender – ponudba

42

REMEMBER THESE COLLOCATIONS

to receive a commission for

to conclude the contract

to submit a tender

to tender for (the construction)

to undertake construction

to make a cost estimate

to exceed the sum

in conformity with

to be binding upon

to be bound by (the law)

EXERCISES

I. FILL IN THE GAPS USING THE WORDS BELOW. Use the verbs in their correct

form: undersigned, tender, deadline, commencement, bound, bind, binding,

guarantee, guarantor.

1. The agreement ………………. them to perform the work before the end of

the year.

2. The machine is still under ………….…….., so make a complaint.

3. A ……………. is a person who gives a guarantee.

4. Any document signed will be ………………. …………. you until the

expiration of the contract.

5. We, the ……………………. , offer to perform the total of work.

6. All plans should be approved before the ………………… of work.

7. They were ……………… by the contract.

8. When is the ……………… for the project?

9. Firms were invited to ……………….. for the construction of the new

motorway.

II. READ THIS FORMAL TENDER. THEN ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.

We, the undersigned, have read the various conditions of the tender attached hereto

and hereby agree to abide by the said conditions. We also agree to keep this tender

open for acceptance for a period of 90 days from the date fixed for opening the same.

We offer to complete the work set forth in the Contract in one year from the date of

acceptance of the same Contract at the rate quoted in the attached schedule. We also

hereby agree to abide by special conditions of the Contract and to carry out the work

according to material specifications and work laid down by the Contract.

1. What do the undersigned agree in this tender?

2. Until when is this tender valid?

3. How much will the bidders charge for constructing the road under this tender?

4. When will the road be delivered to traffic?

5. What must the bidders observe in carrying out construction work?

43

III. HOW DO WE DESCRIBE GRAPHS IN ENGLISH? HERE IS A GRAPH

REPRESENTING THE RISE AND FALL OF HOUSE PRICES IN THE U.S. DESCRIBE THIS

GRAPH USING THE VOCABULARY FROM THE APPENDIX.

VI. TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING COVER LETTER INTO ENGLISH. ADD THE

ADDRESS, DATE, OPENING PHRASE AND COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE.

Spoštovani!

Odgovarjamo na vaš razpis za ponudbe, ki je bil objavljen v the Architectural

Review. V prilogi vam pošiljamo ponudbo, ki smo jo sestavili po vašem razpisu.

Ponudba je v skladu s pogodbenimi pogoji, specifikacijo in kosovnico. Strinjamo se,

da bomo dela začeli na dogovorjeni datum in jih predali v roku 6 mesecev. Ponudba je

veljavna 1mesec. (ali: Ponudba je za nas obvezujoča 1mesec).

V upanju na odobritev ponudbe vas lepo pozdravljamo.

44

APPENDIX

IRREGULAR VERBS Base form Simple past Past participle Base form Simple past Past participle

be was/were been make made made

beat beat beaten mean meant meant

become became become meet met met

begin began begun pay paid paid

bend bent bent put put put

bite bit bitten read read read

blow blew blown ride rode ridden

break broke broken ring rang rung

bring brought brought rise rose risen

build built Built run ran run

burn burnt burnt say said said

buy bought bought see saw seen

catch caught caught sell sold sold

choose chose chosen send sent sent

come came come set set set

cost cost cost shake shook shaken

cut cut cut shine shone shone

dig dug Dug shoot shot shot

do did done show showed shown

draw drew drawn shrink shrank shrunk

dream dreamt dreamt shut shut shut

drink drank drunk sing sang sung

drive drove driven sink sank sunk

eat ate eaten sit sat sat

fall fell fallen sleep slept slept

feed fed Fed slide slid slid

feel felt felt smell smelt smelt

find found found speak spoke spoken

fly flew flown spell spelt spelt

forget forgot forgotten spill spilt spilt

freeze froze frozen spend spent spent

get got got stand stood stood

give gave given steal stole stolen

go went gone sting stung stung

have had Had strike struck struck

hear heard heard swear swore sworn

hide hid hidden swim swam swum

hit hit Hit take took taken

hold held Held teach taught taught

hurt hurt Hurt tear tore torn

keep kept kept tell told told

know knew known think thought thought

lay laid laid throw threw thrown

learn learnt learnt understand understood understood

leave left left wake woke woken

lend lent Lent wear wore worn

let let Let weep wept wept

lie lay lain win won won

lose lost Lost write wrote written

45

TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES

Tense Affirmative/Negative/

Question Use Signal Words

Simple Present

A: He speaks.

N: He does not speak.

Q: Does he speak?

action in the present

taking place once,

never or several times

facts

actions taking place

one after another

action set by a

timetable or schedule

always,

every …, never,

normally, often,

seldom,

sometimes,

usually,

if sentences type

I (If I talk, …)

Present

Progressive

A: He is speaking.

N: He is not speaking.

Q: Is he speaking?

action taking place in

the moment of

speaking

action taking place

only for a limited

period of time

action arranged for

the future

at the moment,

just, just now,

Listen!, Look!,

now, right now

Simple Past

A: He spoke.

N: He did not speak.

Q: Did he speak?

action in the past

taking place once,

never or several times

actions taking place

one after another

action taking place in

the middle of another

action

yesterday, 2

minutes ago, in

1990, the other

day, last Friday,

if sentence type

II (If I

talked, …)

Past

Progressive

A: He was speaking.

N: He was not speaking.

Q: Was he speaking?

action going on at a

certain time in the

past

actions taking place

at the same time

action in the past that

is interrupted by

another action

when, while, as

long as

Present Perfect

Simple

A: He has spoken.

N: He has not spoken.

Q: Has he spoken?

putting emphasis on

the result

action that is still

going on

action that stopped

recently

finished action that

has an influence on

the present

action that has taken

already, ever,

just, never, not

yet, so far, till

now, up to now

46

place once, never or

several times before

the moment of

speaking

Present Perfect

Progressive

A: He has been speaking.

N: He has not been

speaking.

Q: Has he been speaking?

putting emphasis on

the course or duration

(not the result)

action that recently

stopped or is still

going on

finished action that

influenced the present

all day, for 4

years, since

1993, how

long?, the whole

week

Past Perfect

Simple

A: He had spoken.

N: He had not spoken.

Q: Had he spoken?

action taking place

before a certain time

in the past

sometimes

interchangeable with

past perfect

progressive

putting emphasis only

on the fact (not the

duration)

already, just,

never, not yet,

once, until that

day,

if sentence type

III (If I had

talked, …)

Past Perfect

Progressive

A: He had been speaking.

N: He had not been

speaking.

Q: Had he been speaking?

action taking place

before a certain time

in the past

sometimes

interchangeable with

past perfect simple

putting emphasis on

the duration or course

of an action

for, since, the

whole day, all

day

Future I Simple

A: He will speak.

N: He will not speak.

Q: Will he speak?

action in the future

that cannot be

influenced

spontaneous decision

assumption with

regard to the future

in a year,

next …,

tomorrow,

if sentence type

I (If you ask

her, she will

help you.),

assumption: I

think, probably,

we might …,

perhaps

Future I Simple

(going to)

A: He is going to speak.

N: He is not going to

speak.

Q: Is he going to speak?

decision made for the

future

conclusion with

in one year, next

week, tomorrow

47

regard to the future

Future I

Progressive

A: He will be speaking.

N: He will not be

speaking.

Q: Will he be speaking?

action that is going

on at a certain time in

the future

action that is sure to

happen in the near

future

in one year, next

week, tomorrow

Future II

Simple

A: He will have spoken.

N: He will not have

spoken.

Q: Will he have spoken?

action that will be

finished at a certain

time in the future

by Monday, in a

week

Future II

Progressive

A: He will have been

speaking.

N: He will not have been

speaking.

Q: Will he have been

speaking?

action taking place

before a certain time

in the future

putting emphasis on

the course of an

action

for …, the last

couple of hours,

all day long

Conditional I

Simple

A: He would speak.

N: He would not speak.

Q: Would he speak?

action that might take

place

if sentences type

II

(If I were you, I

would go

home.)

Conditional I

Progressive

A: He would be speaking.

N: He would not be

speaking.

Q: Would he be speaking?

action that might take

place

putting emphasis on

the course / duration

of the action

Conditional II

Simple

A: He would have spoken.

N: He would not have

spoken.

Q: Would he have spoken?

action that might

have taken place in

the past

if sentences type

III

(If I had seen

that, I would

have helped.)

Conditional II

Progressive

A: He would have been

speaking.

N: He would not have been

speaking.

Q: Would he have been

speaking?

action that might

have taken place in

the past

puts emphasis on the

course / duration of

the action

48

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

ACTIVE PASSIVE

Present Simple 1st form

3rd

person: -s

They build houses every

year.

is

am + 3rd

form; -ed

are

Houses are built every

year.

Present Continuous is (am, are) + verb + ing

I am building a house.

is being + 3rd

form, -ed

A house is being built.

Past Simple 2nd

form; -ed

I built (constructed) a

house last year.

was

were + 3rd

form; -ed

A house was built

(constructed) last year.

Present Perfect has (have) + 3rd

form

I have built a house.

has

been + 3rd

form; -ed

have

A house has been built.

Past Perfect had + 3rd

form

I had built a house.

had been + 3rd

form

A house had been built.

Future will + 1st form

I will build a house.

will be + 3rd

form; -ed

A house will be built.

MISTAKES

1. what? when? where?

They make progress every day in the world of science.

Progress is made every day in the world of science.

*NOT: Progress every day in the world of science is made.

2. what? from where?

Someone stole ten bottles of wine from a supermarket?

Ten bottles of wine were stolen from a supermarket.

*NOT: Ten bottles were stolen of wine from a supermarket.

*NOT: Ten bottles of wine from a supermarket were stolen.

3. Someone stole ten bottles of wine.

Ten bottles of wine were stolen.

*NOT: Ten bottles of wine have been stolen.

49

Passive with modals: Object + modal + be + 3rd

form, -ed

I

have to

must

should

ought to

need to

can

could

shall

should

may

might

build a

house. A house

has to

must

should

ought to

needs to

can

could

shall

should

may

might

be built.

Passive with modals in the past: Object + modal + have + been + 3rd

form, -ed

I

must

should

ought to

need to

can

could

shall

should

may

might

have built a

house. A house

must

should

ought to

needs to

can

could

shall

should

may

might

have been

built.

Passive with two objects:

to whom? what?

They gave

me

you

him

her

us

them

the plans.

I

You

He

She

We

They

was given

were given

was given

was given

were given

were given

the plans.

The plans were given to

me

you

him

her

us

them

50

Passive in the negative:

They do not open the shop before

ten.

The

shop is not opened before ten.

He does not

construct

houses in this

area.

Houses are not

constructed

in this area.

They didn't

excavate

the ground. The

ground wasn't

excavated.

Passive in that clauses

a)

It + passive of the

1st verb

+ that clause

People think that he is a genius. It is thought that he is a genius.

They believe

say

assume

that the site is quite

appropriate.

believed

It is said

Assumed

that the site is

quite appropriate.

b)

subject of that

clause + passive of

the 1st verb

+ infinitive of the

2nd

verb

People think that he is a genius. He is thought to be a genius.

They believe

say

assume

that the site is quite

appropriate.

is believed

The site is said

is assumed

to be quite

appropriate.

c)

subject of that clause +

passive of the 1st verb in

the present

+ perfect

infinitive of

the 2nd

verb

Experts

think

believe

say

assume

that the engineers

made a structural

mistake.

thought

believed

Engineers are said

assumed

to have made a

structural

mistake.

(http://janyla.cauterized.net/files/2008/03/englishtenses.pdf)

51

DESCRIBING GRAPHS To describe a graph we can use the following words:

Verb Adverb Adjective Noun

There was a:

For an

upward trend

to go up

to increase

to rise

to grow

to improve

to revive

to jump

to leap

considerably

slightly

moderately

significantly

substantially

dramatically

sharply

a considerable

a slight

a moderate

a significant

a substantial

a dramatic

a sharp

increase

rise

growth

improvement

revival

jump

leap

For a

downward

trend

to decrease

to fall

to drop

to decline

to sink

to plunge

gradually

slowly

steadily

abruptly

suddenly

rapidly

quickly

a gradual

a slow

a steady

an abrupt

a sudden

a rapid

a quick

decrease

fall

drop

decline

plunge

When there is

no change

to remain stable

to remain con-

stant

to stagnate

to stabilize

For the lowest

or highest

point

to peak

to reach the peak

to reach the

lowest point

REMEMBER

1. Use the Past tense when describing graphs, for example, The production went

up (or grew) considerably between 2000 and 2005.

2. Use there was before the noun, for example, There was a considerable

increase (or growth) in production between 2000 and 2005.

52

Europass Curriculum Vitae

Insert photograph. Remove heading if not relevant (see instructions)

Personal information

Surname(s) / First name(s) Surname(s) First name(s)

Address(es) House number, street name, postcode, city, country

Telephone(s)

Fax(es)

E-mail

Nationality

Date of birth

Gender

Desired employment / Occupational field

(remove if not relevant, see instructions)

Work experience

Dates Add separate entries for each relevant post occupied, starting from the most recent. (remove if not relevant, see instructions)

Occupation or position held

Main activities and responsibilities

Name and address of employer

Type of business or sector

Work experience

Dates

Occupation or position held

Main activities and responsibilities

Name and address of employer

Type of business or sector

Education and training Add separate entries for each relevant course you have completed, starting from the most recent.

Dates

Title of qualification awarded

Principal subjects/occupational skills covered

Name and type of organisation providing education and training

Level in national or international classification

Personal skills and competences

53

Mother tongue(s)

Other language(s)

Self-assessment Understanding Speaking Writing

European level (*) Listening Reading Spoken interaction Spoken production

Language

Language

(*) Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Social skills and competences

Organisational skills and competences

Technical skills and competences

Computer skills and competences

Artistic skills and competences

Other skills and competences

Driving licence State here whether you hold a driving licence and if so for which categories of vehicle.

Additional information Include here any other information that may be relevant, for example contact persons, references, etc.

Annexes List any items attached.

54

FORMAL LETTERS

Here are the rules for writing a formal letter in English:

1. Put your address in the top right-hand corner of the page.

2. Put the address of the company on the left below your address.

3. Put the date below the address of the company.

4. Start the letter with: Dear Sir or Madam,

or : Dear Mr. (Mrs., Miss, Ms, Dr.) Cole,

5. Use simple and clear language. Do not give unnecessary information. Do not

use informal language or contracted forms (such as don’t). Use the spell

checker to avoid typing mistakes.

6. End the letter with Yours faithfully (if you do not know the name of the

person)

or Yours sincerely (if you know the name of the person)

7. Sign the letter and type your name below.

8. Add these abbreviations:

cc – carbon copy (when you send a copy of your letter to another person)

enc – enclosure

JOB APPLICATION

1. In the first paragraph state your intention, for example:

- I would like to apply for the post of …….

- I am writing to apply for the position of a …..

- I have seen the job advertised in ……..

2. In the next paragraph speak about your competence and experience. Mention your

education and your strong points.

3. Never criticize your previous employer.

4. Mention when you are available for an interview and how you can be reached.

5. Conclude the letter with I am looking forward to ………………

55

JOB APPLICATION SAMPLES

Smetanova 15

2000 Maribor

Slovenia

Tel.:

e-mail:

Mr. James Brooks

16 Clarendon Road

Sheffield, CA 2356

Great Britain

15 June 2009

Dear Mr. Brooks,

I am writing to apply for the position of construction engineer advertised in

Construction Practice. As requested, I am enclosing a completed job application

form, my certificates, curriculum vitae and two references.

The opportunity presented in your advertisement is very interesting, and I believe that

my strong technical experience and education will make me a competitive candidate

for this position. The key strengths that I possess for success in this position include

the following:

I have worked on sophisticated construction projects in Slovenia and abroad

I have successfully led a team of construction engineers on two construction

projects

I strive for continued excellence.

With a BS degree in Civil Engineering, I have a full understanding of the construction

process. I also have experience in learning and excelling at new technologies as

needed.

Please see my curriculum vitae for additional information on my experience.

I am available for interview at any time. I look forward to speaking with you about

this employment opportunity.

Sincerely yours,

Jože Savinc

Joţe Savinc

56

Block letters:

Your Address

Tel.:

E-mail:

Date

Company name

Company address

Attention: General Manager

Dear Sir,

Subject: Application for a job

I wish to apply for the post of civil engineer in your company. I am enclosing copies

of my qualifications, my curriculum vitae and two references. You will notice that I

have worked in the Slovenian Roads Directorate where I participated in the design

and implementation of road network plans. I believe that my technical experience and

education will make me a competitive candidate for this position.

I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

Your signature

Your name and title

Encl.:

- Copy of Matura examination results

- Copy of B. Sc. Degree

- Copy of Birth certificate

- Curriculum Vitae

- Two references

Cc. (or Copies to): Personnel Department

(Adapted from http://www.usingenglish.com/resources/letter-writing.html and

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/morejobletters/a/jobappletter.htm)

57

WRITING ABSTRACTS

There are two types of abstracts: descriptive abstracts and informative abstracts.

Descriptive (or Indicative) Abstracts

o contain up to 100 words

o provide general information about the article

o present an overview of the contents of the article

o do not go into details, do not present results

o are always very short, usually under 100 words

o are impersonal, rarely use personal pronouns (such as I, we)

o do not include personal names, results, research findings, or numbers

o are written in a concise style, mostly in the passive, alternating with the

active voice

o do not use contracted forms (for example, don’t) or jargon

o vary the length of sentences; short sentences alternate with complex

ones

o introduce the subject to readers so that the readers want to read the

whole article.

Informative Abstracts

o are longer, up to 300 words, usually up to 10% of the length of the

article

o go more into detail

o present specific information from the article, such as results of

investigations, numbers and conclusions

o use passive and active forms

o do not use contracted forms

o provide more specific information compared to descriptive abstracts

EXAMPLES

Descriptive Abstract

The successful design of cost-effective solar energy systems depends mainly on the

development of higher conversion efficiencies. A theory is given for the thermal

performance of a new solar collector array that combines reflected and refracted light

rays. The theory is applied to the design of a complete system for solar heating of a

building. Dynamic operating characteristics of a one-month interval are given for the

collector array and heat transfer devices, and cost efficiency is compared with that of

the conventional design.

The qualities of this descriptive abstract are as follows: it provides key information;

it presents the contents of the article in a short form (85 words); it uses passive

sentences alternating with active ones; it uses complex sentences.

58

Informative Abstract

In the design of a solar energy system using arrays of multiple solar panels, the

Hottel-Whillier-Bliss (HWB) model is generally used to evaluate steady state

efficiency. The HWB equation did not accurately predict dynamic thermal

performance for the present system, which uses a novel collector array. The

theoretical limit of energy gain for this new array is BTU, which extends into the

nonlinear mode of the HWB equation. A modified form of the equation was therefore

developed for improved linearity, effective for collector efficiencies up to 54%. The

new collector array, using the principle of successive concentrations. was

incorporated into the design of a complete system of solar heating of buildings. The

transport fluid for transferring energy from the solar array to the storage tank was

important to overall efficiency. An optimum ratio of 64/36 was determined for the

proportion of propylene glycol to water. Dynamic performance tests during the month

of July 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona, yielded an average efficiency of 49% for a gross

collector area of 721 m when the array faced south at an angle of 35o from the

horizontal. Losses between collector and storage tank were 3.8 x 10 J per month. The

cost efficiency of the system was a 9% improvement over that of the SOLTHERM

system operating in Phoenix during the same month. (222 words)

The qualities of this informative abstract are as follows: it is specific; it presents

findings and results; it is a condensed version of the research work, without discussion

or interpretation.

USEFUL SENTENCE PATTERNS:

a) for the topic sentence:

The purpose of this paper is ...

The primary goal of this research is ...

The intention of this paper is to survey ...

The overall objective of this study is ...

In this paper, we aim at providing an overview …...

Our goal has been to provide ...

The main objective of our investigation has been to obtain some knowledge of ...

With recent research, the author intends to outline the framework of ...

The experiment being made by our research group is aimed at obtaining the result of

...

b) for the supporting sentences:

The method used in our study is known as ...

The technique we applied is referred to as ...

The procedure they followed can be briefly described as ...

The approach adopted extensively is called ...

Detailed information has been acquired by the authors using ...

We have carried out several sets of experiments to test the validity of ...

Recent experiments in this area suggested that ...

A number of experiments were performed to check ...

59

c) for the concluding sentences:

In conclusion, we state that ...

In summing up it may be stated that ...

It is concluded that ...

The results of the experiment indicate that ...

The studies we have performed showed (or indicated) that ...

We carried out several studies which have demonstrated that ...

The research we have done suggests that ...

The investigation carried out by ... has revealed that ...

All our preliminary results throw light on the nature of ...

As a result of our experiments, we concluded that ...

From our experiment, the authors came to realize that ...

These findings of the research have led the author to the conclusion that ...

The data obtained appear to be very similar to those reported earlier by ...

(http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/bizwrite/abstracts.html)

Look at this model abstract:

This article reviews the ground motion parameters that can be assumed as structural

and non-structural damage measures. Measures of seismic damage potential based on

ground motion records are first described, followed by a discussion of the damage

measures relating to simple (linear) and more complex (non-linear) structural

responses. The second section reviews the measures of damage phenomena which

govern structural degradation and/or collapse, including experimental results between

earthquake characteristics and type and level of damage on the seismic response of

structures is examined, and data from different well-known destructive earthquakes

are given.

(Cosenza, E. and Manfredi, G.: Damage indices and damage measures, Prog. Struct. Engng Mater.

2000; 2: 50)

Below you can find the structure of this article. Try to follow this structure or

parts of it when writing your own abstracts.

This article reviews ………………………………that can be assumed as ……… .

(active) (passive)

………..……… of ………………….. based on ………...............are first described,

(reduced clause) (passive)

followed by ……………….relating to ……………………..and ……………… .

(reduced clause) (reduced clause) (coordinate clause)

The second section reviews………………………………….. which govern…………

(active) (relative clause)

including ……………………….. .

Finally, the relationship between …………. and ……………………..is examined,

(passive)

and ………………………………… are given.

(coordinate clause) (passive)

60

BAD AND GOOD ABSTRACTS

Below you will find two abstracts written by your fellow students. They do not

follow the structure generally used for writing abstracts. Re-write these abstracts

using the suggested models:

I. The article speaks about the development of methods and models for traffic safety

analysis in a 25-year perspective. The essence of the article is how we can reduce the

number of traffic accidents. Also described are the national road safety program and

road safety goals in Sweden. There are many statistics shown about the growing

number of car accidents.

This article predicts .......................................................................................................

in Sweden. It first focuses on principles of reducing

......................................................................... and then on national

..........................................................and ………………………….. .

Finally, statistics about ................................................................. are presented.

II. This article is written about another kind of house. The prefabricated houses are

built with ecological materials, and they are built in different sizes and shapes,

depending on the local area. Houses are built mostly for foreign markets. Thermo-

insulation is made of wood wool. These types of houses are made light, because of

thin walls; they are flexible and quite cheap, and construction is easy and quick.

The article reviews ....................... ...................................(types of houses) which are

increasingly being ................... with ........................ .....................................(type of

material). Sizes and ........................... are first described and their

.................................... on local ........................ is discussed. The information on

................................. where prefabricated houses ............... mostly built is also

given. The second section focuses on ......................................... (type of materials)

whose major component is ..................... wool. Finally, ............................. (the word

which encompasses light, thin, flexible, etc.) of prefabricated houses are examined,

and .............................. (the price to be paid for such a house) and principles of

construction are mentioned.

You can find more information about abstracts on the following page:

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/bizwrite/abstracts.html

61

READING EQUATIONS

Here are some mathematical symbols. Look at how we read them in English:

+ 5 + 3 = 8 5 and 3 is 8;

5 plus 3 makes 8

5 plus 3 je 8

- 5 – 3 = 2 5 less 3 is 2;

5 minus 3 makes 2;

5 minus 3 je 2

X

5 x 3 = 15 5 times 3 makes 15;

5 by 3 is equal to 15;

5 multiplied by 3 equals 15

5 krat 3 je 15

:

6 : 3 = 2

⅓

⅔

⅜

a + b + c

d

6 divided by 3 gives 2;

6 divided by 3 equals 2

one third

two thirds

three eighths

a + b + c over d

6 deljeno s tri je 2

ena tretjina

dve tretjini

tri osmine

a + b + c ulomljeno z d

= a = b a equals b;

a is equal to b

a je enak b

≠ a ≠ b a is not equal to b a ni enak b

> a > b a is greater than b a je večji od b

< a < b a is less than b a je manjši od b

≈ a ≈ b a is approximately equal to b a je pribliţno enak b

~ a ~ b the difference between a and

b

razlika med a in b

∞ y = ∞ y is indefinitely great y je neskončen

…²

…³

… ⁿ

superscript

3² = 9

3³ = 29

s-3

sⁿ

3 squared equals 9

3 cubed equals 27

s to the power of minus 3

s to the n-th power

3 na kvadrat je 9

3 na 3 je 27

s na minus 3

s na n-to potenco

… 1

subscript

x 1

x sub one

x podpisano 1

√

√9 = 3

the square root of 9 is 3

the cube (or cubic) root of x

the n-th root of x

kvadratni koren iz 9 je 3

kubični koren iz x

n-ti koren iz x

(…) (a + b) brackets open, a plus b,

brackets closed

oklepaj, a plus b, zaklepaj

[ … ] square brackets open, square

brackets closed

oglati oklepaj, oglati zaklepaj

{ … } braces open, braces closed zaviti oklepaj, zaviti zaklepaj

┴ p is perpendicular to q p je navpično na q

║ AB ║ CD AB is parallel to CD AB je vzporedno s CD

A capital a veliki a

a small a mali a

62

STUDENTS’ OBLIGATIONS

Students must take

1. the written preliminary examination or end-of-term examination. The written

examination accounts for 40% of the final grade.

2. the end-of-term oral examination. The oral examination accounts for 40% of

the final grade.

During the course students must prepare

1. a seminar paper;

2. a presentation of the seminar paper to their fellow students.

The seminar paper accounts for 20% of the grade.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WRITING AND PRESENTING THE SEMINAR

PAPER

1. Choose an English article about civil engineering. Use the Internet pages or

select the article from an English professional journal.

2. Read the article carefully and try to understand it.

3. Write two abstracts about this article:

a) an indicative (or descriptive) abstract and

b) an informative abstract

When writing the abstracts, follow the Instructions for Writing Abstracts

presented in the Appendix.

Do not copy any part of the text, but use your own words.

4. Select a short passage from the English text and translate it into Slovene.

5. Add a glossary of English words that you did not understand and translate

them into Slovene.

6. Put everything in a plastic envelope and hand your work to the teacher. The

submission should contain:

a) a cover page with the title, your name, course (GRADB-UNI or GRAD-

VS), and the year and place of completion (Maribor, 2009)

b) the English article

c) two abstracts

d) translation of an English passage into Slovene

e) a glossary of new words

f) sources

7. Now prepare the presentation:

a) use Power Point or the overhead projector

b) do not read what you have prepared but speak freely

c) make your presentation interesting so as to attract the attention of your

colleagues

d) express your own opinion about the subject you have studied

e) answer potential questions from your colleagues.

63

LITERATURE

1. Brieger, N. and Pohl, A. (2002). Technical English: Vocabulary and Grammar.

Oxford: Summertime Publishing Lit.

2. Carter, C.J. et al. (2000). Cost-effective steel building design, Prog. Struct.

Engng Mater.; 2: 16.

3. Cosenza, E. and Manfredi, G. (2000). Damage indices and damage measures,

Prog. Struct. Engng Mater.; 2: 50.

4. Cumming, J. (1997). Nucleus: English for Science and Technology, Architecture

and Building Construction. Harlow: Longman.

5. Hall, E.J. (1977). The Language of Civil Engineering in English. New York:

Regents Publishing Company.

6. Horvatovič, M. (1981). English for Civil Engineers: I. Beograd: Naučna knjiga.

7. Zeleny, R.O., Ed. (1990). The World Book Encyclopedia: Book 3. Chicago:

World Book.

8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_engineering

9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_material

10. http://www.ehow.com/video_4971346_civil-engineer-pros-cons.html

11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construction#Building_construction

12. http://www.home-building-answers.com/step-by-step-home-building.html

13. http://209.85.129.132/search?q=cache:zKjqP9_WcksJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sta

diametric_rangefinding+stadia+hairs&cd=1&hl=sl&ct=clnk&gl=si

14. http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Beam_structure/id/1929248

15. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge#Types_of_bridges

16. http://pghbridges.com/basics.htm

17. http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/bizwrite/abstracts.html

18. http://janyla.cauterized.net/files/2008/03/englishtenses.pdf

19. http://www.usingenglish.com/resources/letter-writing.html

20. http://jobsearch.about.com/od/morejobletters/a/jobappletter.htm

21. http://www.byoh.com/boulder%201.jpg

22. (http://images.google.si/imgres?imgurl=http://www.homeconcepts.ca/home-

plans/home-images/12070_Cardiff/Cardfsec.gif)

23. (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/accp/in0754/image6

98.gif)

24. http://www.yf0rce.com/house/design_scaled.jpg

25. (http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~struct/courseware/461/461_lectures/461_lecture2

4/461_lecture24.html)

26. http://housingbubble.jparsons.net

27. http://visual.merriam-webster.com/transport-machinery/road-transport/movable-

bridges/double-leaf-bascule-bridge.php